Seed companies release new 2012 cotton varieties

Cotton prices hit levels that defied the imagination in 2011, providing cotton producers with excellent pricing opportunities. As we look ahead to the 2012 cotton production season, it’s time for producers to address the other half of the income equation – yield and quality.

With that, here’s a look at what’s new in cotton seed and technology for 2012 for the Mid-South, Southeast and Southwest regions. Information was provided by seed companies.

Americot, Inc. is introducing two new varieties for the Mid-South and Southeast:

AM 1511 B2RFis a Bollgard II, Roundup Ready Flex variety that features excellent yield potential and an excellent fiber package with a staple range of 36-37, strength 29-30 and micronaire of 4.4-4.8. This medium-maturity variety is a medium- to-tall plant and is a semi-smooth leaf cotton. AM 1511 B2RF has performed very well in the Mid-South and the Southeast. AM 1511 B2RF has excellent seedling vigor and provides proven Fusarium wilt tolerance and moderate Verticillium wilt tolerance.

AM UA48was developed by the University of Arkansas and is well suited for the northern cotton growing areas of the Mid-South. This early maturing variety offers an excellent fiber package with a staple range of 39-41 and a strength range of 34-35 and good yield potential. AM UA48 also has excellent tolerance to RKN/Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt and bacterial blight.

As for existing varieties, Americot AM 1550 B2RF continues to be the company’s workhorse in the Southeast and Mid-South. Offering consistent, outstanding yield potential, AM 1550 B2RF was planted more extensively in the 2011 season. This Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex cotton has an early-mid maturity and is a semi-smooth leaf cotton. Its average staple length is 35.6; strength, 27.5; and micronaire, 4.5. It offers excellent yield potential and a solid fiber package. AM 1550 B2RF is widely adapted, performs well in the Southeast and Mid-South.

NG 2051 B2RF is an early-maturing cotton with medium plant height and averages 36-37 staple, 3.7-4.7 micronaire and 29-30 strength. NG 2051 B2RF willperform under either irrigated or dryland production systems and is well-suited to the northern production areas of the Texas High Plains, northern Oklahoma, and Kansas or in any situation where the growing season is limited.

AM 1511 B2RFis a Bollgard II/Roundup Ready Flex cotton for growers in central and south Texas as well as the South Plains. Itfeatures excellent yield potential and an excellent fiber package. It has a staple range of 36-37, strength 29-30 and micronaire, 4.4-4.8. The medium- maturity variety is a medium-to-tall plant and has a semi-smooth leaf. “After several years of testing variety candidates in this growing region, Americot is introducing AM 1511 B2RF to growers in the Southwest region, where it has performed very well,” says Campbell.

All-Tex

All-Tex Seed, Levelland, Texas, will offer nine new cotton varieties in 2012, including five conventional offerings, one of which is a new Pima cotton variety.

Rapid (2359) B2RFis an early maturing, semi-hairy picker variety with staple averaging from 1.14 to 1.17, strength at 29 to 31 and micronaire running from 3.8 to 4.8. It offers excellent yield potential and premium fiber from Lubbock north.

Edge (81227) B2RFis an early-late, semi-smooth picker variety with premium quality characteristics and high yield potential for Texas producers. Strength ranges from 28 to 32; Mic is 3.7 to 4.8, and staple runs 1.10 to 1.20.

Dinero (81220) B2RFis a medium, semi smooth leaf picker type cotton with exceptional fiber qualities and high yield potential for Texas. Strength ranges from 29 to 33; mic is 3.6 to 4.5 and staple is 1.14 to 1.23.

81144 B2RFis a medium, semi-smooth leaf, picker cotton is with a 3.5 to 4.4 mic range, 1.17 to 1.26 staple and strength at 29 to 37. It is adapted to both irrigated and dryland conditions and offers a superior fiber and yield package.

A102is a medium-early conventional cotton variety with micronaire ranging from 3.5 to 4.9, staple at 1.07 to 1.19 and strength at 25 to 31. A102 is a semi-smooth leaf variety adapted to irrigated and dryland production in the Texas Gulf Coast, Texas High Plains and Oklahoma. It is semi-storm tolerant and similar in maturity to FM 958.

OL220is a semi-smooth, okra leaf, medium maturity variety with a high turnout. It is adapted to dryland or irrigated conditions over a wide geographical area. Quality characteristics include; mic, 3.5 to 4.8; staple, 1.10 to 1.17; strength, 28 to 31.

LA122is a medium, smooth leaf picker cotton with excellent yield potential and good fiber characteristics. It is storm tolerant and widely adapted to Texas, Mississippi (Delta and hills) and Georgia. Quality figures include micronaire at 3.5 to 4.9; staple at 1.08 to 1.20 and strength at 26 to 31.

7A21is a new medium maturity, semi-smooth picker variety with excellent fiber quality and storm tolerance as well as good tolerance to Fusarium and Verticillium wilt and is widely adapted to Texas, Mississippi Delta and irrigated acreage in Georgia. Characteristics include a 3.5 to 4.8 micronaire range; 1.11 to 1.21 staple and strength at 29 to 32.

Bayer CropScience – FiberMax and Stoneville brands

Bayer CropScience offers three new cotton varieties for 2012 including the first GlyTol/LibertyLink cotton variety.

ST 4145 LLB2is the first variety in Stoneville germplasm with LibertyLink. It’s a very high-yielding, early maturity, LibertyLink, Bollgard II variety with an excellent fit from the Mid-South through the Southeast and to the mid-Atlantic. It was available in introductory quantities in 2011 and should be readily available for 2012. But order early.

ST 5445 LLB2is a complement to ST 4145 LLB2, and is a later-maturing variety. Yield is extremely good. The variety can fit across the entire Cotton Belt, but its open boll type is a better fit across the Mid-South, Southeast and mid-Atlantic. A strong, introductory supply of ST 5445 LLB2 will be available for 2012.

FM 1944 GLB2is a GlyTol, LibertyLink variety, which is tolerant to glufosinate (Liberty) and glyphosate. “It is the first multiple herbicide stack in the market which has complete tolerance to glyphosate and Liberty,” said Bayer CropScience agronomy manager Steve Nichols. “The variety is adapted across the Cotton Belt, from California to Virginia. It is similar to FM 1740 B2F, but with a big improvement in fiber length. Yield potential is equal to or better than FM 1740 B2F.” Limited introductory supplies will be available.

Ignite is now Liberty– Bayer CropSc.ience has announced that the global brand Liberty herbicide will replace the Ignite herbicide brand for use on LibertyLink crops in the U.S. market starting in the 2012 crop season.

Bayer plans to increase the global production of Liberty herbicide and help ensure adequate supplies, especially in the rapidly expanding U.S. market.

“Liberty herbicide still offers the same benefits and levels of performance as the former Ignite herbicide, including the new 65-ounce seasonal maximum for soybeans,” said Al Luke, head of broad acre crop marketing for Bayer CropScience.

“The name change of the brand name to Liberty will focus and more closely link the herbicide with LibertyLink crops, including FiberMax and Stoneville cotton, InVigor canola and many corn and soybean brands.”

Bayer CropScience offers four new cotton varieties for the Southwest:

FM 2011GT is well-adapted to the High Plains and Rolling Plains of the Southwest and has exhibited excellent yield potential. FM 2011GT features GlyTol glyphosate-tolerant technology. With its wide application window and optimal crop tolerance for over-the top applications of glyphosate, GlyTol offers cotton growers more freedom in their weed management decisions.

FM 9250GL is the first commercial cotton variety with dual herbicide tolerance to both glyphosate and Ignite herbicide adapted to the High and Rolling Plains. This GlyTol/LibertyLink variety offers growers in this area excellent yield potential and fiber quality. Agronomic characteristics are similar to FM 9058F with a compact plant type and large, storm-tolerant bolls.

FM 2989GLB2 is a medium maturity GlyTol/LibertyLink/Bollgard II variety with dual herbicide tolerance to both glyphosate and Ignite herbicide. It has demonstrated excellent adaptation to the Southwest. It has a medium/bushy plant type with excellent yield potential and good fiber quality.

GlyTol LibertyLink cotton has full tolerance to both glyphosate and Ignite herbicides. This innovation gives growers two nonselective herbicide modes of action to increase the spectrum of weed control, fight resistant weeds and reduce the potential for future development of weed resistance. Visit Bayer for more information on FiberMax varieties.

Croplan Genetics

Ample supply of these varieties will be available for the 2012 growing season. CG 3006 B2RF is a very early variety that has performed exceptionally well on irrigated acres in the northern Texas High Plains. It offers excellent seedling vigor and emergence, top-end yield potential and premium fiber package. A determinate type variety, CG 3006B2RF fits in those areas that struggle to accumulate heat units in an average growing season.

CG 3156B2RF is an early-mid maturity, medium-tall variety with excellent seedling vigor and early-season emergence. It has demonstrated outstanding yield potential along with excellent fiber properties and very good storm tolerance. It is adapted across regions, but has shown its best fit in west Texas north into Kansas. CG 3156B2RF delivers consistent yields on both dryland and irrigated acres. It is moderately tolerant to Verticillium wilt and is bacterial blight resistant.

CG 3787B2RFis a medium-tall, late-mid maturating variety adapted for dryland production systems, but will also deliver excellent yields on irrigated soils. CG 3787B2RF has excellent seedling vigor and early season emergence and excellent fiber qualities. It fits extremely well across the Cotton Belt from west Texas through Georgia. For more cotton variety information, go to Croplan Genetics.

Dow AgroScience’s PhytoGen brand

PhytoGen cottonseed is offering a lineup of early- to full-maturing varieties in 2012 that provides cotton growers with multiple high quality, high yielding choices for their farm. Among these is a new variety with broad adaptability.

PHY 499 WRFis an early to mid-maturing, semi-smooth variety with excellent seedling vigor and exceptionally high yield potential. PHY 499 WRF has performed well in official variety trials throughout the Cotton Belt, showcasing its ability to be broadly adapted. It will be available in limited supply in 2012.

Other varieties available for 2012 include PHY 375 WRF, which was the top selling cotton variety in the country in 2011, planted on 10.7 percent of all upland acres; PHY 367 WRF, which performs well in west Texas under pressure from Verticillium wilt; PHY 565 WRF, grown from Georgia through Mississippi and Louisiana and into South Texas; and PHY 440 W, which has shown to be an especially effective variety in Texas’s Coastal Bend. Find data specific to your area at PhytoGen.

Dyna-Gro

Dyna-Gro is releasing this variety for the Southwest region:

DG 2595 B2RFis a mid-maturity upland variety that has shown excellent seedling vigor. It is semi-smooth leaf cotton that has an open architecture with an associated robust bushy plant growth. Plant growth regulators should be considered for in-season plant growth patterns. It is a medium-tall variety averaging about 40 inches in height. This variety has small to medium sized bolls averaging about 4.5 grams. DG 2595 has shown very good storm resistance. It has also shown good tolerance to Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. Overall in all trials, gin turnout has ranged from 38-42 percent, fiber uniformity has ranged from 82-85 percent, micronaire has ranged from 4.7 to 5.0, fiber length has ranged from 1.13 to 1.17 inches, and fiber strength has ranged from 28 to 31 grams per tex.

Overall plant performance of this variety was determined to be primarily adaptable to the Southwest cotton-growing regions and especiallyon sand to silt loam soils under well managed production systems. The best lint yield responses occur in the Southwest regions. Lint yield analysis has shown that the variety is most stable when grown in irrigated environments. Dryland production is discouraged. Limited data has show favorable yield responses on specific clay soil series. No-till production practices also compliment this variety. DG 2595 responds very well to irrigation for enhanced yields in other cotton growing regions.
Visit Dyna-Gro for more information on varieties.

Monsanto’s Deltapine brand

Monsanto offers three new commercial cotton varieties in its Deltapine Class of 12 lineup.

DP 1212 B2RFis an early-maturing variety for the Northern High Plains of Texas and other early-season markets. It has similar yield and fit to DP 0912 B2RF, but with even better fiber quality. Evaluated in the New Product Evaluator (NPE) program as 10R013, its plant size and management recommendations are similar to smaller, easier-to-manage genotypes. North Mississippi Delta producers participating in the NPE program also experienced positive performance from DP 1212 B2RF.

DP 1219 B2RF is broadly adapted across Texas with a great combination of yield potential and excellent fiber quality potential. Its early maturity fits the Northern High Plains and Panhandle growing regions and tends to shift to a mid-maturity range in the Southern High Plains and East Texas. Evaluated by farmers as 10R011 in the NPE program, DP 1219 B2RF has the potential to fit most environments and management systems found in Texas, plus has a fit on deep, sandy soils of the upper Southeast and Arizona for seed production.

DP 1252 B2RF fits well in irrigated fields and productive soils in the full-season markets of the Mid-South and Southeast. Evaluated by farmers as 10R052, the new DP 1252 B2RF is very responsive to management and yield environment.

In Leary, Ga., NPE farmer Jimmy Webb said, “It seemed to handle stress well and yielded almost 1,390 pounds per acre, which was pretty close to our DP 1048 B2RF. This new variety is certainly worth looking at again.”

Seed Source Genetics

Seed Source Genetics is offering two new cotton varieties for the Mid-South, Southeast and Southwest in 2012. Seed-Source Genetics is a family owned corporation that was formed in December of 2004. It purchased the inventory and marketing rights of the cold tolerant cotton from Douglass King Seed Company of San Antonio, Texas. The descriptions are provided by the seed company.

SSG UA 03is an early, okra leaf, high yield picker-type variety with a staple length of 36-39, micronaire, 4.2-4.5, and strength, 31-33grams per tex. The variety will be available in limited quantities.

SSG UA 22is a mid-early, semi-smooth, high yield picker-type variety with a staple length of 36-39, micronaire, 4.0-4.5 and strength, 31-33 grams per tex. The variety will be available in limited quantities.

GA 230is a conventional, full-season cotton variety with an excellent staple length (39-41), strength (29-33), and micronaire (mid-4) package. In regions with longer growing seasons, it is very competitive with the best varieties in yield; it can have a very strong top crop. GA 230 yields relatively better in dryland conditions. It is smooth-leaf and has a normal, upright growth habit that may need PGRs to control growth.